1. Kolo Mee or Kampua

This dry noodle is a staple for young and old in Sarawak. It is usually served with a few slices of char siew, some minced meat and spring onions. You can also opt for Kolo mee with sweet Chili sauce (the noodle will be slightly red in color).

It is usually served in a traditional bowl but most Sarawakian kids would have eaten it out of a plastic-drinking-bag as that’s how kolo mee is packed to go. There are different varieties of the Kolo mee available. The Kwanton kolo mee has flatter noodles and nicer texture but the taste doesn’t run far. There is however, a never ending debate about the difference between Kampua and Kolo mee.

2. Sarawak Laksa

Sarawak Laksa has a pretty different taste compared to the its contemporaries from other States. Sarawak laksa’s broth is usually made with a mixture of sambal belacan, sour tamarind, galangal, lemongrass, coconut milk and other herbs and spices.

It is served with egg strips, prawn, chicken slices, bean sprouts and lime garnished ever so beautifully on top of the mee hoon (rice vermicelli). A personal favorite is to opt for kolo mee in the laksa instead of mee hoon. Before devouring the laksa, make sure to squeeze the lime for a tangy after-taste and bring on the sambal belacan!

3. Kacangma

Kacangma started off as a traditional confinement dish for women but has since evolved to an all-rounded popular dish craved by men and non-pregnant women alike. Some might say that it is an acquired taste due to the strong herb and alcohol.

It is a chicken dish traditionally prepared with a type of dried herb (motherwort), lots of ginger and a combination of Tuak (rice wine and Chinese cooking wine). The ginger is suppose to help take out ‘air’ from the body while the alcohol is meant to keep the body ‘warm’. So it would be best not to eat this dish in a confined space or travel long distance in a confined vehicle after consumption of this wonderful dish, unless you want it to get “stuffy” in there.

4. Mani Chai with eggs

Mani Chai (Sauropus androgynus) or simply Cangkuk manis is a sweet shrub or leafy vegetable that often get sidelined in West Malaysia. 

Stir fried Mani Chai with eggs, when cooked right, is naturally sweet (not added with sugar), slightly wet and chewy with a smoky after-taste of the fire. While it may look like a simple dish but not many can cook this dish right.

The most important ‘ingredient’ aside from garlic, eggs and sometimes a dribble of oyster sauce, is the ‘taste’ of the fire. As with many Chinese dish, this extra ‘kick’ comes from the skill in stir-frying the vegetable with extremely hot oil and fire in a wok but not overcooking it. When visiting Sarawak, you have to try this in any of the Chinese restaurant.

5. Layer cakes

Sarawak is famous for its layer cake or Kek Lapis. The layer cake comes in so many different flavors and patterns that it is hard to pinpoint a single most delicious cake. This cake is expensive because of the hard work and time consuming method of baking the cake layer by layer. Skilled ‘layer cake artists’ often design beautiful patterns into the cake to captivate fan boys and girls with its craftsmanship and vibrant colors.